The Rules of the Game
by TimelessTears
Summary: Never Forget, Never Forgive these are the rules. Slightly AU.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Sweeney** **Todd or the song at the end.**

* * *

"...Benjamin Barker, you are here by sentenced to be exiled from the United Kingdom for life, after being found guilty of attempted murder." Judge Turpin read the decree with grim smile. Lucy put her head in her hands to hide her tears, not caring in the least that they were soaking Through her silk gloves. She looked up to hush Johanna, who began to cry, just in time to see her husband being cuffed and escorted from the court room his sad brown eyes meant hers from across the room, and he mouthed 'I'll always love you' to her before he was ruffly shoved out of one of the side doors.

She felt tears sliding down her face in a new onslaught.

Many new problems bombarded her all at once. How was she going to live? How could she make a living and take care of a baby at the same time? Would they be poverty stricken? Would she be forced to re-marry? No, she'd never do that to Ben! Despite these haunting thoughts, Lucy quickly left the court house, her baby secured in her arms before the Judge would be able to corner her.

* * *

She rocked back and forth slowly in the rocking chair absent mindfully humming a tune to calm Johanna down. The poor babe had been crying ever since they left the court house several hours ago. It was almost as if she knew her father was being falsely accused and was grieving for him. After a while, the little baby fell in to a peaceful sleep, and Lucy put her in her cradle. After shutting the nursery door, Lucy proceeded to the living room, where she paced back and forth several times. 

And each time she turned to Pace again, her sorrow slowly turned into rage.

It had been that boy, David, who started it all. Running into the streets, screaming at the top of his lungs that the barber was going to kill him. The little vermin even testified that day in court, not even taking it into account to feel the least bit grateful that her husband had taken him from the workhouses out of the kindness of his heart.

If the boy was smart, he would not show is face here anytime soon.

Idly, Lucy wondered how much Turpin had payed the boy to act his part. It was obvious, to _her _anyway, that this was made to frame her husband. Yet, no one else seemed to mind or care.

It is here good fellows, where everything changes. For you see, Lucy, in this time of rage, had managed to harden her heart, if only just a tad. Not enough, to make her cruel and heartless, but enough to realize that she was indeed naive.

For you see, the world is a pit, filled with people who are filled with shit.

Lucy knows this now.

So she doesn't feel the least bit terrible when she makes her next move in this game of chest that we call life.

* * *

The doorbell rang, and rang, and rang. 

"Answer the bloody door!"Turpin yelled before sighing. Right, Beadle's down at the market right now. The Judge quickly stood up and walked briskly to the door, fully intending to tell off whoever dared to disturb him.

That is, until he found himself staring in mesmerizing blue eyes.

"Lucy, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" She smiled sweetly at him and his heart fluttered. Perhaps she had already forgotten about her husband?

"I apologize about the unexpected visit, Judge Turpin but there are a few things we need to discuss privately." Lucy said in a soft voice that made him want her all the more.

"Of course, we can talk in my office." He said as he opened the door and let her in. He noticed she was carrying a basket, but took no heed to it as he led her to his office.

There they sat and talked about mundane things for half an hour.

Not once was Benjamin Barker mentioned.

"Oh! I almost forgot. I baked these earlier today. I was hoping you would like to try one?" Lucy questioned as she dug out a cinnamon oatmeal cookie from in her basket.

Being the man that he was, he gracefully accepted it and ate the cookie. They soon began to talk again, but he was begging to feel strange. Turpin felt woozy, and was beginning to see double.

"Do you want to know what the special ingredient for my cookies are?" Her voice was eerie. Like a child who had delighted in doing a morbid things. He nodded. Slowly, she moved behind him- sadly a pain in his stomach had caused him to double over by this time- and crouched to where her lips tickled the shell of his ear as she whispered her answer.

"Rat poison."

It seemed as if his whole body had frozen at the answer. Surely she wasn't serious. Lucy _would never do that. _Yet, as he turned his head to look at her, there was no denying the truth in those blue eyes.

"I figured this was the best way to do it, because this is the only _clean_ way I know on how to kill a rat." And those blue eyes that were so warm with love early had turned into icy cold depths that revealed nothing. He felt betrayed and his heart hurt slightly- though he couldn't tell if it was from what she had said or the poison coursing through his blood.

"Did you honestly think I would so soon come here after what you did to my husband? What you did was unforgivable. Know this Judge Turpin- I shall never love you."

These where the last words he heard before slipping into eternal slumber.

* * *

Lucy smiled as she walked out of the office. The King had been slaughtered. Now, for the knight and the pawn.

* * *

Beadle whistled to himself as he walked into the house. He walked into Turpin's office to share a meat pie.The site of the Judge slumped over on the floor, caused Beetle to stop in shock. Before he could do anything, however, a shadow loomed over him from behind. He turned to see who it was... 

...and was it in the face by a iron poker.

His attacker kept hitting him, even after he screamed for them to stop. But the blows kept coming, and he felt the blood pouring down from his head and back. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the attacks stopped. Moving his head slightly he looked up to see Lucy Barker glaring at him, with the iron poker positioned at his temple.

"Because all bugs get squashed." She said before he could speak. "Including you." The poker was shoved through his temple, and Beetle's eyes became wide with shock.

Then, he knew no more.

* * *

Lucy dropped the iron poker on the floor. Taking her time, she calmly cleaned off all the blood on her, picked up her basket and left. Not before grabbing Beetle's prized poison; his walking stick that easily became a whip. The knight had been dealt with. 

And now for the pawn.

* * *

David was munching on an apple as he watched the sun sink over the water. He felt slightly bad about what he had done to Mr.Barker, but in this world only the strongest survive. Turpin had given him a good amount of money. 

Besides, it's not like there'd be any consequences. Or so he thought.

"Hello David." The feminine voice from behind caused David to drop his apple into the harbor water. Cursing under his breath, David turned to yell at the woman.

Coming face to face with Lucy Barker. Looking at her, David felt slightly uneasy

"Don't be scared David. Walk with me." She said over her shoulder as she moved away; David followed, only to show her that he wasn't scared. They walked in silence until they came to an alley way. There, Lucy stopped, which startled him, but he stopped as well. Finally she spoke.

"Why did you do it child? After all my husband did for you, _why _did you frame him?" She hadn't turned to look at him, but he answered regardless.

"Nothin' against you or Mr.Barker Ma'am, but it's the way of the world; the strong and smart survive." More silence, until David saw her nod her head in agreement.

"Yes, you make a point." David was relieved she understood.

"Pity, that you neither." Lucy swung at him so fast he didn't have time to move. It was only now, that he noticed that she had Beadles walking stick. He cursed himself for not noticing before. David knew he couldn't fight back, so he huddle in the feeble position and waited for the blows to stop. They did; sooner that he expected.

"Come on Ma'am, can't you forgive and forget." He said in a weak voice, praying she'd pity him and stop.

"I can't do that. Let me give you an important lesson about strong and smart people; they never forget, and they never forgive." Lucy said as she raised the walking stick for the killing blow.

David's brains splattered over the floor of the deserted alley way.

* * *

Game. Set. and Match. 

Lucy won.

* * *

The news of the deaths spread quickly through out London. Nobody really cared about the boy, but Turnpin and Beadle's was a huge ordeal. Investigations were conducted, but no one was ever proven guilty. 

Lucy smiled as she fed Johanna.

Now all that was left to do was wait.

* * *

Fifteen years later; Sweeney Todd entered into his old home. 

He was meant with a wife and child.

Later that night, Lucy told him what she had done all those years ago.

He laughed.

And together, they waltzed around their bedroom to a macabre lullaby they knew by heart.

_Here we go the world is spinning,_

_And when it stops it's just beginning,_

_The sun comes up,_

_We laugh, we cry,_

_The sun goes down,_

_...and then we all die._

* * *

**Beadle's name was changed to Beetle halway through. I'm aware of this error, but I can't do anything about it at the moment.**


End file.
